Some wounds, such as pressure or diabetic ulcer wounds, or surgically created wounds, form a cavity in a patient's body and are often called “cavity wounds.” It can be desirable to fill the wound cavity, e.g., as part of a course of treatment. Various types of wound dressings or pads are used to fill wound cavities. These wound dressings or pads must be fitted for the particular wound size and shape, which can vary greatly. Some such dressings are easily conformable to the size and shape of the particular wound being treated. For example, gauze may be used as a cavity wound filler. As a further example, MELGISORB™ (produced by Mölnlycke Health Care) is a soft, sterile calcium sodium alginate dressing that is used to pack wound cavities.
In some wound care contexts, it can be desirable to use a wound pad made of a more rigid material. For example, porous and semi-rigid polymer foams are often used as wound fillers during negative pressure wound treatment. These materials may offer the advantage of allowing fluid channels through themselves and maintaining a relatively uniform open structure even when subjected to negative pressure. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is also thought that the mechanical interaction between these more rigid materials and the wound may contribute to wound healing processes.
These more rigid dressings or pads can be difficult to size and shape to fit a wound. Such pads are typically supplied in one of several standard sizes and shapes, which then must be individually altered, typically with utensils or tools such as scissors and/or a scalpel. The process of individually shaping and sizing a wound pad can be messy, time-consuming, and/or frustrating to the clinician and/or patient.
The present disclosure is directed at overcoming one or more of these or other shortcomings in the art.